Interview: Jochen Meyer, Vodafone, on hopes and fears in the UPC

Managing IP is part of Legal Benchmarking Limited, 1-2 Paris Gardens, London, SE1 8ND

Copyright © Legal Benchmarking Limited and its affiliated companies 2026

Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery Statement

Cookies Settings

Interview: Jochen Meyer, Vodafone, on hopes and fears in the UPC

The head of IP at Vodafone Germany has spoken about the fear that the UPC will be “imbalanced” between plaintiffs and defendants

Intervieed at Managing IP’s Patent Reform Forum in Munich on September 9, Jochen Meyer said the discussion on forum shopping showed “there are much more options and choices for the plaintiff than the defendant”.

He added: “We expect more activity from NPEs or PAEs or whatever they will be called.”

In the interview, Meyer cited the possibility to get preliminary injunctions as one issues that need to be resolved. “Another thing is the handling of bifurcation cases – whether or not the infringement suit will be stayed until the validity suit has been heard, or make sure they are heard at almost the same time, so we will not see enforceable decisions on infringement whilst the validity of the patent is still in question,” he added.



See all the interviews from Munich on Managing IP’s YouTube channel. Note that all speakers are talking in a personal capacity, and their views are not necessarily those of their employers or clients.

more from across site and SHARED ros bottom lb

More from across our site

György Pintz, founder of Pintz & Partners, talks through the challenges of founding a firm and explains why lawyers and table tennis players have more in common than you might expect
Kate Nuehring Su, partner at Marshall, Gerstein & Borun, explores a successful PTAB appeal and why the Federal Circuit reached an opposite outcome on the same doctrine
From BTS to Squid Game and kimchi to memory chips, the Korean wave is reverberating around the world and IP work is also seeing a boom, say two Yoon & Yang partners
Managing IP will host a ceremony in Kuala Lumpur on November 5 to reveal the winners
Recent lateral moves raise a bigger question for full-service firms – can patent litigation remain a strategic priority when competing practices generate larger profits?
As counterfeiters grow increasingly sophisticated, Gibson Dunn is differentiating its trademark practice through a focus on payment tracing, judgment enforcement and asset recovery
Anita Polott, who is celebrating three decades at Morgan Lewis this year, reflects on career progression, stepping into unfamiliar territory, and leadership frameworks
Technical excellence remains essential, but many firms are discovering that packaging IP with complementary practice areas can unlock new clients and a stronger competitive position
As international interest in Southeast Asia grows, Sheng Rong Tng discusses how changing client demands and the firm’s multidisciplinary model are helping it compete for complex regional mandates
Todd Hopfinger, director in Sterne Kessler’s electronics practice group, says IP owners are contemplating how patent rights will be enforced as commercial activity expands beyond Earth
Gift this article